Chris Robshaw and Nadiya Bychkova are the latest stars to leave Strictly Come Dancing following a tense dance off against Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon.
Both couples performed their routines again during Sunday evening’s results show, with Balvinder and Julian performing their Paso Doble to Diablo Rojo by Rodrigo y Gabriela while Chris and Nadiya performed a Salsa to Maria by Ricky Martin.
After both couples had danced for a second time, the judges delivered their verdicts, with the former rugby player and his Ukrainian ballroom partner soon confirmed as the third couple to leave.
Left with the casting vote, outspoken judge Craig Revel Horwood chose to save Balvinder and Julian.
When asked by host Tess Daly about his time on the show, Chris said: ‘I’ve loved it. I’ve had an amazing partner. For me, coming onto this journey, I had no confidence.
‘To be told I had world class qualities on the dancefloor today, even though we have to go home, that’s amazing to hear so thank you very much. It’s given me such confidence.’
Chris Robshaw and Nadiya Bychkova are the latest stars to leave Strictly Come Dancing following a tense dance off against Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon
Both couples performed their routines again during Sunday evening’s pre-recorded results show before the judges cast their votes
Addressing Nadiya, he added: ‘I’m sorry. But it’s been an amazing journey, she’s been a brilliant teacher, I’ve developed so much, and it’s been a great ride – so thank you.’
Turning to her celebrity dance partner, an emotional Nadiya said: ‘Chris, I have had a few wonderful weeks with you and I saw all the qualities that made you the captain of your country.
‘To watch you [go] from a non-dancer and non-performer [to then] blossom, improve and develop.’
She added: ‘On Friday night when we were here rehearsing you told me that you couldn’t wait to perform on Saturday and that’s the best confirmation that you have got that feeling and that love for dance – and that means the world.
‘Sometimes on this show you win by getting a glitterball, but I feel this year I won just getting you as my partner. So, thank you so much.’
Sunday’s results show featured a musical performance of Been a Minute by Leigh-Anne Pinnock, accompanied by a fierce group Tango performed by dancers Michelle Tsiakkas, Luba Mushtuk, Nancy Xu, Jowita Przystał, Gorka Marquez and Neil Jones.
Sunday’s pre-recorded results show also featured a teaser trailer for Icons Week, with each celeb lip syncing to a quote from the musical icon they’ll be performing as next weekend.
In a recent interview, Chris discussed his mental health and how ending his rugby career impacted him before Strictly Come Dancing gave him a new lease of life.
When asked about his time on the show, Chris said: ‘I’ve loved it. I’ve had an amazing partner’
Chris and Nadiya embraced after discovering they were the third couple to be eliminated
Nadiya told Chris she had enjoyed ‘a few wonderful weeks with you and I saw all the qualities that made you the captain of your country’
‘My biggest competition is my own brain,’ he said. ‘I can’t keep letting the anxious thinking win.
‘I have to keep telling the negative part in my brain to be quiet, as the feelings of not being good enough will always creep in, and I have to tell them to go away.’
Chris went on to share that he felt as though he ‘lost’ himself after retiring from rugby, which was tough mentally.
He said: ‘I’m just loving feeling like an athlete again. It’s really hard when you leave a sport like rugby, it was my whole world and when that ends, you lose that sense of purpose and I did feel like I lost myself a bit.
‘Mentally, that’s really tough. But I’m training with purpose again, Strictly has made me feel that spark again.
‘It’s not the same as being on the rugby pitch, of course, but dancing has made me so happy.’
The eliminated pair were given a grand send-off by the show’s remaining contestants during Sunday evening’s results show
Strictly Come Dancing: Week 4 leaderboard
Alex Kingston and Johannes Radebe – 36
Lewis Cope and Katya Jones – 34
Amber Davies & Nikita Kuzmin – 33
Ellie Goldstein and Vito Coppola – 31
George Clarke and Alexis Warr – 30
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Lauren Oakley – 29
Stefan Dennis and Dianne Buswell – 29
Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon – 28
Karen Carney and Carlos Gu – 27
Stefan Dennis and Dianne Buswell – 26
Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and Karen Hauer – 26
Chris Robshaw and Nadiya Bychkova – 24
La Voix and Aljaž Škorjanec – 14
Chris said that it wasn’t until he had his two sons Wilding and Hunter, who he shares with wife Camilla Kerslake, that he was able to open up about his mental health.
‘I’ve always been quite hard on myself and I have always wanted to win because that’s what I was also conditioned to do so when I get the low scores or end up in the bottom two it feels like a game loss,’ he said. ‘It feels like I failed. Like I’ve let people down.
‘I carry that anxiety or fear. I never really used to talk about my feelings or mental health but since having the boys I think it’s been important for me to not pretend I have it all together.
‘Losing to me feels like I am rubbish like I am not good enough and I will carry the feeling of failure.’
Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Saturday 25th October at 6:20pm, with the results show on Sunday 26th October at 7:15pm.
